















orrespondence of 





c 
he Fi 


mere General’ Mi 


ae a 1 heh f) . 
ie Rage t : fe 


r 





' 





a tee 





Sy 


ee at — * 


» 


ie me 


> 


{ay 


x 








“ Ae is not dead, whose glorious mind 
Lifts thine on high, 
To live in hearts we leave behind 


Is not ta die,’’ 


These remarkable letters between Lord Montague and 
Gen’l Moultrie—of richest historical interest for us of 
Carolina, and illustrating sa vividly the triumph of the 
lofty mind and patriotic heart of the prisoner of War over 
his captor—were originally published in Moultrie’s 
Memoirs, 

For more than two generations they have been out of 
print by the scarcity of these old volumes, I have 
included this correspondence in the historical appendix 
of the City Year Hook of 1844, that the high and 
patriotic sentiments of William Moultrie may be readily 
accessible to the present generation, 

This little ‘‘ Edition de luxe’’ has been prepared for 
private circulation among friends and correspondents— 
Hook Lovers-—who ever long to behold the jewels of 


thought in the most becoming setting of type and paper. 


WE Al. 


Charleston, 5, C,, ‘Palmetto Day,’’ 1664. 








Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from 
Duke University Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/correspondenceof1781 moul a 


— Pp 2 ae ae 





“* 


Me a 


' LJ % 
1 ve J 
. 
, 
A 
. - 
- 
. ’ 
‘ 
’ 
‘ 
* 
Rsteo b bir he wii ? 
- 
‘ 


. 
‘ 
‘ 
‘ts 
ad 
pear sin} 





This edition, printed June, 1885, consists of two hundred copies 
on Holland paper, and three copies on Vellum, all of which are 


numbered and signed. This copy is No. / 64 


Cuarzeston, S. C., 28th June, 1885. 








oa) >» + fs 
aq tere 
4 














MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM MOULTRIE 





[he Correspondence of 
Lord Montague with 
General Moultrie. 
ee Ler: 


THE FLOWERS COLLECTION 


“*Ubere to hide Gyself from Byself.” 





' his edition is prepared to commemorate the 109th 
Anniversary of the Wictorp at Fort Boultrie, 


28TH JUNE, 1776, 


hat a patrior’s thought and utterance in the enbiron- 
ment of defeat, and tobile pet a prisoner of twar, 
may be preserbed to posterity. 






ris 


POV (07 02108, 


r* .\ ‘s ANI ‘ ha) GY. VI \ wow y 
. , , ” + 


) O28 YVIOTSEVIAAHD 


lio yiseutdsd 
es “i ° ’ 


ome send onol gs i 1 
Les ie chy bart, sued 
td uWOy. ont 
2erl petits do dignsh. 
isc Dirte: 25utilivis “itt bos 
iy mmol bavisos7 | ‘qidebnoia 





CORRESPONDENCE. 


Lord Montague to Gen. Moultrie. 


CHARLESTOWN, So. CaA., 
February goth, 1781. 


DEAR SIR: 





wall is a long time since I 
beg} have had the pleasure 
of seeing you, but the 
length of time has not 
effaced the civilities and marks of 
friendship I received from you. I 


7 


8 _ Correspondence. 


wish much to see you; you know 
I have again returned to this coun- 
try for a short time. 

If itis agreeable to you, I will either 
call upon you or be glad to see you 
here at No. 57, old Church Street. 

I send this by my old servant 
Fisher. 

Your sincere friend, 
Cuartes Montacue. 


Gen. MOULTRIE. 








CHARLESTOWN, So. CA., 
March 11, 1781. 


SINCERE wish to pro- 
mote what may be to 
your advantage, induces 
me now to write; and the 

freedom with which we have often 

conversed makes me hope you will 
not take amiss what I say. My own 
principles respecting the commence- 
ment of this unfortunate war are well 
known to you, and, of course, you 


9 





10 Correspondence. 


can conceive what I mention is out 
of friendship. You have now fought 
bravely in the cause of your country 
for many years, and, in my opinion, 
fulfilled the duty every individual 
owes to it. You have had your share 
of hardships and difficulties, and, if 
the contest is still to be continued, 
younger hands should now take the 
toil from you. You have now a fair 
opening of quitting that service, with. 
honor and reputation to yourself, by 
going to Jamaica with me. The 
world will readily attribute it to the 
known friendship that has subsisted 
between us; and by quitting this 
country for a short time you would 
avoid any disagreeable conversations, 
and might return at leisure to take 


Correspondence. 11 


possession of your estates for your- 
self and family. 

The regiment I am going to com- 
mand, the only proof I can give you 
of my sincerity is, that I will quit 
that command to you with pleasure 
and serve under you. I earnestly 
wish I could be the instrument to 
effect what I propose, as I think it 
would bea great means towards pro- 
-moting that reconciliation we all wish 
for. A thousand circumstances con- 
cur to make this a proper period for 
you to embrace your old acquaint- 
ance—my having been formerly Gov- 
ernor in this province, the interest I 
have with the present commanders. 
I give you my honor what I write is 
certainly unknown to the comman- 


12 Correspondence. 


dant, or to any one else. So shall 
your answer be if you favor me with 
one. Think well of me. 

Yours sincerely, 


Cuar_tes MontaGuE. 


Gen. MOULTRIE. 








Gen. Moultrie to Lord Montague. 


‘-HADDRELL’S Pont, So. CA., 
March 12th, 1781. 


RECEIVED yours this 
morning by Fisher; I 
thank you for your wish 





to promote my advan- 
tage, but I am much surprised at 
your proposition. I flattered myself 
I stood in a more favorable light with 
you. I shall write with the same 
freedom with which we used to con- 


Sng 13 


14 Correspondence. 


verse, and doubt not you will receive 
it with the same candor. I have 
often heard you express your senti- 
ments respecting this unfortunate 
war, when you thought the Ameri- 
cans injured; but am now astonished 
to find you taking an active part 
against them; though not fighting 
particularly, on the Continent, yet 
seducing their soldiers away to en- 
list in the British service, is nearly 
similar. 

My Lord, you are pleased to 
compliment me with having fought 
bravely in my country’s cause for 
many years, and, in your opinion, ful- 
filled the duty every individual owes 
to it; but I differ very widely with 
you in thinking that I have dis- 


Correspondence. Ls 


charged my duty to my country 
while it is still deluged with blood 
and overrun with British troops, who 
exercise the most savage cruelties. 
When I entered into this contest I 
did it with the most mature delibera- 
tion and with a determined resolution 
to resign my life and fortune in the 
cause. The hardships I have gone 
through I look back upon with the 
greatest pleasure and honor to my- 
self. I shall continue to go on as I 
have begun, that my example may 
encourage the youth of America to 
stand forth in defence of their rights 
and liberties. You call upon me now 
and tell me I have a fair opening of 
quitting that service with honor and 
reputation to myself by going with 


16 Correspondence. 


you to Jamaica. Good God! is it 
possible that such an idea could arise 
in the breast of a man of honor? I 
am sorry you should imagine I have 
so little regard for my own reputa- 
tion as to listen to such dishonorable 
proposals; would you wish to have 
that man whom you have honored 
with your friendship play the traitor? 
Surely not. You say by quitting 
this country for a short time I might 
avoid disagreeable conversations, and 
might return at my own leisure and 
take possession of my estates for my- 
self and family; but you have forgot 
to tell me how I am to get rid of the 
feelings of my injured honest heart, 
and where to hide myself from my- 
self, Could I be guilty of so much 


Correspondence. 17 


baseness I should hate myself and 
shun mankind. This would be a 
fatal exchange from my present situ- 
ation, with an easy and approved 
conscience of having done my duty 
and conducted myself as a man of 
honor. | 

My Lord, I am sorry to observe 
that I feel your friendship much 
abated, or you would not endeavor 
to prevail upon me to act so base a 
part. You earnestly wish you could. 
bring it about, as you think it will 
be the means of bringing about that 
reconciliation we all wish for. I wish 
for a reconciliation as much as any 
man, but only upon honorable terms. 
The repossessing my estate, the offer 
of the command of your regiment, 


18 Correspondence. 


and the honor you propose of serv- 
ing under me, are paltry considera- 
tions to the loss of my reputation; 
no, not the fee simple of that valua- 
ble island of Jamaica should induce 
me to part with my integrity. My 
Lord, as you have made one pro- 
posal, give me leave to make another, 
which will be more honorable to us 
both; as you have an interest with 
your commanders, I would have you 
propose the withdrawing the British 
troops from the Continent of Amer- 
ica, allow the independence, and pro- 
pose a peace; this being done, | will 
use my interest with my commanders 
to accept of the terms, and allow 
Great Britain a free trade with 
America. 


Correspondence. 19 


My Lord, I could make one pro- 
posal, but my situation as a prisoner 
circumscribes me within certain 
bounds; I must, therefore, conclude 
with allowing you the free liberty to 
make what use of this you may think 
proper. Think better of me. 

I am, my Lord, your Lordship’s 


most obedient humble servant, 


Wm. Mouttrie. 


Lord CHARLES MONTAGUE. 








PRESS OF THEO. L. DE VINNE & CO. NEW-YORK. 


hy eh eee 


Mh 





~ 


3] Pi. CaN swery «e et 





« 
- 
Me 
a 
h: Oe 
- 
w 





, | - 

» Fi > 
ae an 

p by 
, : 

gies lck ¢- 
ip wy 4 
" - 
: tha 
Z »> 

fd 
fiw B 
: 
f 
f 

bP 
Ae 
iP 

r - 
e 

. 





